Water cooling apparatus



Nov. 4, 1958 R. J. s'roNE WATER COOLING APPARATUS Filed Apri-1V 11, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheetl 1 mmw NSR@ if Af Nov. 4, 1958 R. J. sToNE WATER COOLING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April ll, 1955 l. m f l 1 n 'l lllllllllllllll/vl/ United States Patent `Marley Company, Kansas City, Mo., a corporation of Delaware v Application Aprilvll, 1955, Serial No.' 500,629 1 claim, v(ci. 62-171) This invention has todo with cooling equipment and more particularly to a heat ex-changer adapted to receive a cooling medium to the end that the rtemperature of the substance being cooled may be quickly, easily and inexpensively lowered and in a more effective manner than has heretofore been made possible through use of conventional systems.

I`t isy the most important object of the present invention to provide a cooling system incorporating a cooler having a heat exchanger provided with linned tubing for receiving the substance to be cooled, together with means for directing a cooling medium through the substance to be cooled, all adaptedto be associated with apparatus for lowering the temperature of the cooling Other objects include the way in which relatively telescoped, tubular elements are provided in a heatexchanger, whereby heat is removed from the substance being cooled not only byl radiation convection and/ or conduction, but internally through -use of pipes for receiving a coolant;

the way in which currents `of air are used to dissipate the heat of the extended surfaces of the cooler tubes; and

the wayin which a control is provided vto produce 'auto matic operation of the secondary cooling system whenever the heat of the substance being cooled rises to a predetermined temperature. i f f i Other objects include important. details of construction, all of which will be made lclear as the following specification progresses,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein: n

Figure v1 is an elevational view partially schematic and including a flow diagram of Water-cooling apparatus made pursuant `to one form of my present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, horizontal, cross-sectional view of the heat exchanger shown in Fig.' 1. K

" Fig. '3 `is a view similarto Fig. 2 showing a moded form of heat exchanger; and

Fig. 4 is a transverse, cross-sectional view still further enlarged illustrating the manner of mounting the relatively telescoped, tubular elements of the heat exchangers.

The cooling system embodying the principles of the instant invention includes a cooler ,broadly designated by the numeral 10, and adapted to be operably interconnected in the manner illustrated by Fig. 1, and as hereinafter fully described, with any suitable means for lowering the temperature of a cooling medium, such as `a cooling tower 12.

The cooling tower 12 may be in the nature of that shown in Patent No. 2,650,082, issued to Leon T. Mart, on August 25, 1953, or of any other suitable construction. The cooling tower 12 chosen for illustration of the principles of the instant invention, includes a hollow casing 14 containing a ll assembly 16 over which a coolant such as water to be cooled gravitates and through which currents of air are induced, forced by means of a fan 18, or caused to ow by natural draft. The hot coolant is received by a basin 20 which may have a perforated bot- Patented Nov. 4, 1958 rice . 2` tom 22 for distributionv of the coolant over the till assembly 16. The cooled coolant is collected by a sump 24 l beneath the assembly 16.

Cooler 10 may include a conical plenum 26 provided with fan ring 28 within which a fan 30 operates to direct currents of air upwardly through a heat exchanger 32. The heat exchanger 32 as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, includes a pair of opposed headers 34 and 36 provided with partitions 38 and 40 respectively, presenting outer chambers 42 and 44 and inner chambers 46 and 48.

' Liquid or other substance to vbe cooled, is directed into the inner chamber 48 by way of inlet 50, and'such substance passes from the heat exchanger 32 by way of an outlet 52 communicating withthe inner chamber 46.

The headers v34 and 36 are interconnected'by a plurality of tubular elements which include a series of stacks of outermost tubesv 54 interconnecting the chambers 46 and y48 and through which the substance being cooled ows in its passage from the inlet 50 to the outlet 52. Each tube 54 has a pipe 56 telescoped therein and such pipes pass thro-ugh the partitions 38 and 40 to place the chambers 42 'and 44 into intercommunication. The'tubes 54 are surrounded by spiral tins 58 and, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, the pipes 56 Iare held spaced from the tubes 54 by a number of spaced brackets 60 within the tubes 54 and surrounding the pipes 56. Each of the brackets 60 is provided withv a number of radial legs 62 spanning the dist-ance between the pipes 56 and the tubes 54 to hold the same relatively concentric. The coolant emanating from the sump 24 of cooling tower 12, is directed into an inlet 64 communicating with the outer chamber 42 of header 34 whence such coolant Vtlows through the pipes 56 and into the outer chamber 44 of thel header 36. The coolant passes from the chamber 44 by way of an outlet 66 communicating' with the chamber 44.

yReferring "again'to Fig. 1 of the drawings, there is shown a coolantline 68 interconnecting the sump 24and the inlet 64 within which is disposed a pump 70 "energized by an electric motor 72 for circulating the cold coolant from the ll assembly 16 through theheat exchanger 32. A return line 74 coupled withv the outlet 66, re-directs the coolant emanating from the outer chamber 44 to the receiving basin 20 of the cooling tower 12.

The Vsubstance to be cooled ows from a point of' 72 that in turn has a source of power (not shown)v coupled with input lines 88 and 90.

During operation of the cooling system thus far described, pump 82 operates continuously to direct the substance being cooled from the point of use 76, through line 78 and into the inlet 50 of header 36. Such substance is collected by the inner chamber 48 and passes through the tubes 54 into the inner chamber 46 whence it returns to the point of use.76 in a cooled condition by way of inlet 52 and line 804.

While the substance passes through the tubes 54, a considerable amount of the heat thereof is given -oi through the external surfaces of the tubes 54 and the extended surfaces 58 thereon. Such heat is dissipated and removed by continued operation of the fan 30 directing currents of air upwardly through the plenum 26 and across the tubes 54 and their surfaces 58.

In the event however, that the temperature of the sbstance has not been lowered suflicien'tly to n'eet 'the purposes of its industrial application, prime mover 72 will be automatically energized whenevery 'the temperature of the substance in the line y8l) `r`ise`s 'to a predetermined pointufor operating the thermostatic switch 84. Coolant in the sump 24 will thereupon 'be irn'rnei'i'ately pumped through 'the line 68 into the inlet 64 and through the p'i'pes 56 for rem-rn to 'the receiver '20 of the oli'n'g tower `Iz by way of line '74. IThe fan 18 may be -permitted 'to oper-ate continuously or have its 'prime mover similariy coupled in 'the circuit shown 'in Fig. 1 to Commence operating when the switch 86 closes. The hot coolant lkowing to the receiver20 by way of line 74 will gravitte through the nu assembly 16 of tower 12 'and by evaporative cooling with the aid of the 'air circulated 'therethrough by `fan 18 will be in a condition lto still further lower the 'temperature of the substance ink the tubes 54 because of the fact that the pipes 56 are in hea't exchange relationship thereto.

A modied 'form of heat exchanger 132 'is shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings and which includes a pair of opposed "headers 134 and 136. The header 134 'is 'subdivided into a plurality of superimposed chambers 143, 145 and 147 by partitions 137 and 139. Header 136 has a partition 140 presenting a pair 'of 4superimposed chambers 149 and 151.

' The system for passage ofv substance to be cooled and emanating 'from the source 76, is continuous in the heat exchanger 132 `by virtue of 'the fact that chambe'rs143 and 149 are connected by a plurality of tubes 154, the chambers 145 and V149 being joined by 5a number ot tubes 155, chambers 145 and 151 being connected by a number of ltubes 157 and chamber 151 beingV placed into communic'ation withchamber 4147 by a series of spacedtube's 159. Tubes 154, 155, 157 and 159 are all preferably provided with external surfaces such as yns 158 as inthe case of the heat exchanger 32.

It is seen, therefore, that the substance to be cooled flows from line 78, through inlet -150 and into the charnb'er 143 of header 134. Such substance ows from chamber 143 through tubes 154, chamber 149, 'tubes 155, chamber 145, tubes 157, tubes 159, and chamber 147 to outlet 152 and into the return line 80.

The tubular elements for circulating the cold coolant emanating from the tower 12 that isV included in the heat exchanger 132, is likewise in the 'form of pipes 156,l

arranged in continuous coils extending through, or telescoped within corresponding tubes 154, 155, 157 and 159. It i's to be noted that all of the coils or pipes 156 traverse the `two headers 134 and 136 and 'communicate with a pair of secondary headers 133 and 135, the former of which is provided with outlet 166 and header 135 being provided with inlet 164 coupled with line 74 an 68 respectively.

When the heat exchanger 132 is utilized in the cooling system, the operation is the same as above described with respect to the form embodying the heat exchanger 32.

It is to be appreciated -that cooler may include extended surfaces 58 or 158 of any suitable character and that the heat may Ybe removed therefrom by natural draft, by 'induced currents of air or by a forced draft as shown. The substanceto 4be cooled lmay be directed through the heat exchanger by gravity or by any other force and need mot abe recirculated as shown.

Similarly, the nature of the cooling medium owing into and out of the lheat exchanger lis of no significance nor is it important that it be recirculated -or cooled in any particular fashion.

.Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired .to be secured by Letters Patent is: cooling unit comprising in combination a cooler including a vheat exchanger having a pair of spaced, hollow headers ,provided with a series of spaced, exteriorly nned tubes interconnecting the same, fan means 'disposed to force air across the tubes to remove heat from the fins thereof, anda pipeftelescoped through each tube respectively; structure including conduit means for circulating a .liquid refrigerant into one of said headers,

' through the tubes, vinto the other header, and thence 4into heat exchange relationship to Aapparatus to be cooled by the ,refrigerant; a water .cooling tower having a ll assemblyl'for gravitational flow of hot Water therethrough, means for forcing air through the assembly to cool ythe f gravitating` water, and a sump below ythe assembly :for

collecting the cool water; .means including a pump 4having -an `electric prime mover yfor circulating said cool waterfrom the sump through the pipes land thence to the assembly;.a nd control means for said .pump including a thermostat in said conduit means responsive to the temperature of .the refrigerant therein, and electric switch means operably coupled with said thermostat and with said prime mover.

References Cited in the tileof this patent 'UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,794,692 Hyde Mar. 3, 1'931 1,966,802 y Miller lLlly 17, 1934 `2,153,335 Martin Apr. 4, 1939 2,292,692 Huber Aug. 11, 1942 52,332,336 Norris Oct. 19 1943 J2,603,196 Dieter July 16, 1952 2,658,357 Smith Nov. 10, 1953 2,672,033 Gold v Mar. 16, 1954 

